Empty streets where I live
No signs of life except for a cat or two
Every now and then a bird flies by
Deathly quiet

Empty streets where I live
Going on for miles in any direction
People staying inside
To protect themselves and others

Empty streets where I live
All over the world now
In cities and towns
Humanity has been put on hold
Huge sacrifices being made
By everyone

Empty streets where I live
Never been done before
It’s a first for all of us in the world
Hopefully someday soon
They will start to fill again
When life slowly returns
To a new normal

Empty streets where I live

Get your groove
Find a rhythm
Beat it loudly
With energy
Let the sound carry
Far and wide
Beat it
For the ill
For the dying
For the suffering
For all the lost souls

Beat the drum

For the living
As loud as you can
March down the street
Proudly
Let others hear you
Let them join you

Beat the drum

For the world
For all of us

It’s the season
Of greens and reds
Scents of pine
Apple cider
And hot chocolate
Where glitter
Brings light and magic
It’s the season of
Cheer and good feeling
Where love usurps all
Smiles replace frowns
Laughter instead of tears
Just a touch of glitter
Spread by all
Throughout the land
Can lift up the world
With a little kindness
And magic
It’s the season
Of belief
Light up the world
With your special light

It is an early summer’s day
The sun is out
The sky is a perfect bright blue
There are a few white clouds scattered through the sky like a thin white veil
There is a slight breeze -- not too warm, not too cold
You are sitting in a field of tall grass
The grass is a light sand color
The grass sways gently to the breeze and makes a soft rustling sound
As you sit in the field
A cloud of butterflies  start to surround you
They are all colors -- purple, blue, yellow, red, and gold
As you put out your hands, they light onto your hand
Then, in the distance a humming bird appears
It is beautiful
Bright green with just a touch of pink
It’s feathers almost shimmer in the light
It is so small it could fit in the palm of your hand
As you watch it, its movements slow down
You can almost see the wings beat
Your heart starts beating at the same rhythm
As you close your eyes and listen to the breeze
The hummingbird gently touches your face before flying away

You are in a moment of truth bliss and peace

I woke out of a deep sleep
I was in that place in between reality and dreams
I then heard my fathers voice
It came out of nowhere
Clear as a bell he said “time to go”
He repeated it several times
It was striking as it sounded so clear and real
It felt like he was in the room
Yet he has been gone for several years now
Those words brought back memories of him and I
When we would go out as a family
Or he and I would go out shopping
I remember going to look for that perfect Christmas tree with him
Meeting him for dinner and holiday shopping for my mother
The times I would drive him to the airport to catch a flight
Or pick him up after a trip
When we would go to a ball game together
Or my mother and I waiting in a restaurant in Jamaica while he arranged to get us home
He was always there
Now he’s in my heart

Time to go

When we forget our roots we lose our humanity
We are all one
When we forget our roots we lose who we are
We are all one
When we forget those that helped us we lose our history
We are all one
When we don’t respect others we lose respect
We are all one
When we are cruel we diminish ourselves
We are all one
When we lift up one we lift up the world
We are all one

The little bird pecks it’s way out
It’s coming out of it’s protected shell
It’s being born into the world
Or a turtle poking its head out
That’s how it feels after lockdown
A stranger in a new land
Setting ones feet on familiar ground
Like an explorer
Looking around at the familiar
Yet unfamiliar
What’s the same
Where are the changes
Still aware that there’s danger
Still needing to be careful
Excited yet nervous
Coming out of the shell
Once again
Into the new normal
Been here before
Not so long ago
Hoping this time
It lasts

Wind chimes rattling in the wind, playing their own kind of tune

Clattering of the bells ringing against the metal grate as the wind
whips through them
Chimes playing different notes

Trees bending in the wind, void of their foliage and green moving
to their own kind of rhythm

Sounds of wind whipping around bending tree branches

Snow lightly falling and blowing around like cotton candy strands
before gently nesting on the ground or other surfaces

It is the coming of winter and the start of the a new cycle in the
weather for the year

Cold easing its way into homes, bodies and open spaces replacing
the warm heat of the summer with a new found friend

Temperatures dropping outside like flies bringing a frigid feel to
the day and evening

Nighttime chills and darkness befall the city as it gets ready to put
its nightcap on for the sleep that is slowly coming

A new season is starting

Golden threads tie us together
No matter what the distance
No matter the amount of time
They bind us as one

Golden threads tie us together
No matter the language
No matter the culture
No matter the place
They bind us as one

Golden threads tie us together
They reach across the universe
Never ending
They last forever
Never breaking
They bind us as one
Always

Whenever I touch your hands
They are warm
Their feeling takes me to a special place
They exude a calmness
Whenever I touch your fingers
They offer kindness and care

Whenever I touch your hands
I am struck by their warmth
As I hold them
They touch my spirit deeply
With care and love

Whenever I touch your hands
I touch my heart
I touch my spirit
With your kindness and care

Memories come flooding back
When I first held your hand
When I first looked into your eyes
When I first hugged you
Hands carry memories
They never forget

Like I never forgot you

Hot baked sun streaming down
Intense bright light all around
Penetrating everything
Wilting flowers fighting to stay alive
Lazy cats and dogs seeking shelter and shade
Streets and sidewalks hot to the touch
Laundry put out dries in a minute

It’s summertime once again

Bright blue skies
Sleeveless tops and dresses
Nothing feels comfortable
Beds too hot
No where to sit in comfort
Cold drinks tempting the mouth
Thoughts go to sandy beaches and ocean breezes

It’s summertime once again

When feeling lost
Go to the forest
Smell the trees
Take in the freshness

When feeling unease
Go to the forest
Feast upon nature
Walk amongst the trees
Listen to the wind

When feeling confused
Go to the forest
Sit amongst the beauty
Let it calm your soul
Let the beauty fill your heart

When not sure what to do
Go to the forest
Listen to answers
Let it inspire you

At This Time of Year

At this time of year
Winter is coming
A fresh new start is on the way

At this time of year

Holiday trappings are everywhere
Trees are waiting for a home
Children are anticipating Santa
Presents are wrapped

At this time of year

Choirs are singing
Churches are full
People are feeling good cheer
Smiles are bigger
Special meals being served

At this time of year

Let’s be more kind
Let’s be more positive
Let’s laugh more and criticize less
Let’s be grateful

At this time of year

Let’s remember what’s about
Let’s come together
Let’s love harder
Let’s assume the best
Let’s forgive more

Let’s remember we are all one

At this time of year

It seems like just yesterday that I was a young girl playing with my dolls and friends

Begging my parents to stay up late

Inside I don't feel that different
I love to imagine new places in my mind and go there

Where did the time go?

It feels like just the other day when I was running through the fields with my friends

In the darkness
I am there
My hand is on your shoulder
In the darkness
I am there
I am standing behind you

In the darkness
I am there
I am holding your hand

In the darkness
I am there
When you can’t see
I am your eyes
When you can’t walk
I am your legs

In the darkness
I am there
When you can’t go on
I will help you
When you can’t stand
I will for you

In the darkness
I am there
When you cry
I will wipe your tears
When you laugh
I will laugh with you

In the darkness
I am there
I have always been there

Without you things seem bland
There is no pizzazz

Without you
There is less fun
There’s an emptiness

Without you
I am missing part of me
The sun isn’t as bright

Without you
The moon loses its luster
The stars don’t glitter

Without you
The ocean isn’t the same
The city seems dull

Without you
The apartment is empty
My heart hurts

Without you
I am not me
Life isn’t as sweet

Without you

There’s still darkness outside
With hint of light appearing
It’s still early
Traffic starts moving
Towards their destinations
Ever so slowly
The morning is just beginning
Empty roads in places
Full morning has not yet started
As 7am approaches,
A golden ball can be seen in the sky
The sun is rising
It’s a glorious sight
Another morning has arrived
As the city starts to get up once again
The beginning of a new day
Time to start

It was a crisp day
In the beginning of the season
The sun was bright blue with a dotting of a few white clouds

There was cold hanging in the air
It was bitter to the skin
People were huddled in
their warm clothes
Seeking something to take away
the chill
Streets were less busy
The weather keeping them away

A dim light shines across the waters a far distance away
Shining in the dark and gray mist
The light reflects off the waves of the water
Creating a path through the waves

In the distance is a ship which has been gone for a long time
The ship lost its way years ago and has been searching for home
Going port to port
Never finding home
Constantly searching

On this particular night, as the ship gets closer to land a light can be seen
The ship turns and aims for it
Moving quickly through the water
It’s a lighthouse
Its a welcome sight
As the ship gets closer, the light becomes brighter illuminating the land by it
Somehow the land looks familiar now after so long
The ship picks up speed anxious to reach land
The ship is coming home

That’s how crisp, cool air is
Glorious
The changing of the guard
The cleansing feeling
Of a soft breeze
Across the face
Like a tender kiss
The soothing feeling
Of heat dissipating
It’s invigorating
As the season starts to change
The sounds and smells do
Different foods and tastes
Colors change in nature
And fashion
It’s a fresh start
Where one can be brand new
A reinvention
Glorious
It’s a time for new beginnings
And magic
It’s absolutely glorious

If you see someone with a frown, smile
Choose laughter over tears
If you see someone that could use a little money, give if you can
If someone needs help, reach out
Offer kindness instead of harshness and cruelty
Love instead of hate
Don’t judge, accept

Walk towards the light instead of darkness
Give instead of taking
Lift up instead of tearing down
There’s too much darkness and hate in the world right now
If we can just light the world a little through kindness and love, it’s a start
Every bit matters

Wind chimes rattling in the wind,
playing their own kind of tune
Clattering sounds of them hitting
against the metal grate
as the wind whips through them

Trees bending in the wind, void of their foliage and green moving
to their own kind of rhythm
Snow lightly falling and blowing around like cotton candy strands
before gently nesting on the ground or other surfaces
It is the coming of winter and the start of the a new cycle in the
weather for the year
Cold easing its way into homes, bodies and open spaces replacing
the warm heat of the summer with a new found friend
Temperatures dropping outside bringing a frigid feel to
the day and evening
Nighttime chills and darkness befall the city as it gets ready to put
its nightcap on for the sleep that is slowly coming

Do you feel me in your heart
Am I in your spirit
Does the thought of me make you tremble
Am I truly a part of you

Do you feel me in your heart
Am I in your spirit
Do you think of me
Am I missed when gone

Do you feel me in your heart
Does my name mean something
Will you remember me
Do you crave to see me
Do you need me

Do you feel me in your heart
Am I part of your life
Do I live in your mind

Do you feel me in your heart

Whispering winds blow across my face
Soothing my troubled soul

Whispering winds blow across my face
Bringing sweet scents of flowers

Whispering winds blow across my face
Lifting me up

Whispering winds blow across my face
Healing my pain

Whispering winds blow across my face
Reminding me of you

Snow lightly falling and blowing around outside
Barren trees with branches moving to the wind
Windows clattering with frost beginning to appear
People dressed in heavy coats with gloves and boots
It is the coming of the  winter season and the start of a new cycle in the
weather for the year
Cold easing its way into homes, bodies and open spaces replacing
the warmth of summer with a new found friend
Temperatures dropping outside
Nighttime chills and darkness befall the city as it gets ready ready to put
on its heavy blanket in preparation for what is coming

Silver bells
Sweet memories
Of times past
Run through my mind
Like a quiet stream
Hints of cinnamon in the air
Apple cider
Hot chocolate
Beautiful trees and wreaths
Decorated everywhere
Scents of pine trees
Burning wood
In fireplaces
Snow covered ground
Looking like a winter wonderland
Silver bells
Sweet memories
If I close my eyes
They come as dreams
Making me wish they never end

Home

Home is where the heart is
It offers sanctuary
It can be anywhere
Home is where one belongs
It can be at anytime
It feels comfortable
It feels safe
It soothes us when we are troubled
Is where one feels loved and cared for
Home is everything
Home

Music and memories go together
Like salt and pepper
One complements the other
One triggers the other
Listening to a song can easily transport one back to a memory or time
A certain memory can bring back a certain feeling
It’s as if one stepped into a time machine to relive that moment
Music can also inspire, ignite and calm the soul
It can heal ones wounds and evoke strong feelings
Music can take me back to a sweet memory of my father shoveling the snow outside during a winter storm
Or my father taking my hand as a small girl to enter a Brazilian ceremony many decades ago
Or to remember a colleague playing a song by the Temptations in the office one Friday morning to help start the day
Music and memories inspire our lives to be so much more like an artists’ painting

It’s the morning of another day
The woman gets dressed
Having finished her brief breakfast
She is going out

Dressed in her red coat and scarf
Ivory colored turtle neck sweater
Blue jean leggings
It’s winter at the end of January
Very cold outside
It gets into your bones
Makes them ache

She is heading out to the store
Afterwards she will stop for coffee at a favorite cafe
Before heading home

She is living her new life
With her high school sweetheart
An unbelievable dream come true

My Wish for Today

If you see someone with a frown, smile
Choose laughter over tears
If you see someone that could use a little money, give if you can
If someone needs help, reach out
Offer kindness instead of harshness and cruelty
Love instead of hate
Don’t judge, accept

Walk towards the light instead of darkness
Give instead of taking
Lift up instead of tearing down
There’s too much darkness and hate in the world right now
If we can just light the world a little through kindness and love, it’s a start
Every bit matters

Soon we can wipe the slate
Get a fresh start
The end of the year is coming
Time to start a new
We have a chance to try again
Learn and grow
This year will be in the past
We can move forward
Hopefully
Things will improve
Over time
We are being given another chance
Let’s count our blessings
Look around at the beauty
Look around at loved ones
Look around at the planet
Be grateful
Love instead of hate
Give instead of take
Use your own light
To light and lift up the world
Fresh start

Imagine you are in a deep green forest
The color is lush

The trees and foliage are everywhere
Ferns abound

The air is clean
With a light scent of pine

There is a slight breeze
It blows across your face gently stroking your cheek like a soft kiss

As you walk you can hear your own steps
You are alone
The only sound is your own breathing

Tiny flowers decorate the ground

The green color is hypnotic and calming

Tree trunks painted green by Mother Nature

You feel like you are in paradise
Time has stopped

All around is peace and harmony
You are home

Life is like a tree
It has many branches
Over time it grows
There are new avenues and nuances
The roots reach deeper into the soil
Seeking out precious nutrients and water
New leaves appear in the spring
Turning colors in the fall
Eventually falling to the ground
As winter approaches trees sit bare
As if almost asleep
Waiting again for a new season to start anew

It is an early summer's day
The sun is out
The sky is a bright Wedgewood blue
There are a few white clouds scattered through the sky like a thin white veil
There is a slight breeze -- not too warm, not too cold
You are sitting in a field of tall grass
The grass is a light beige color
The grass sways gently to the breeze and makes a soft rustling sound
As you sit down in the field
A cloud of butterflies surround you
They are all colors -- purple, blue, yellow, red, and gold
As you put out your hands, they light onto your hand before flying away

Then, in the distance, a hummingbird appears
It is emerald green with a touch of pink
It is so small it could fit in the palm of your hand
As you look at it, it's movements slow down so you can see the wings beat
Your heart starts beating at the same rhythm

As you close your eyes and listen to the breeze the hummingbird touches your face gently before flying away

Cooler breezes tempt me
The summer brightness of the sun is gone
Darker mornings greet me
There is a crispness in the air

The seasons are changing
From summer to fall
Time to change the wardrobe
Time to get ready

Time to think about soups
Time to think about hot chocolate

Cooler breezes tempt me
Fall is coming....

It was early morning
It was the in between time of
night and day
She went out onto the terrace
She was dressed all in white
There was a slight cool breeze moving through her clothes
Making them move with a slight rhythm

She climbed up onto a black table
She was barefoot
The table was cool to the touch
As she stood on the table she looked out onto the city

She could see for miles
The city was still asleep
She stood at the back of the table
She then spread out her arms
She started running and leapt

As she started falling she changed into an eagle
She flapped her wings and flew
She soared through the sky
She aimed up towards the clouds
Eventually turning to the sun

She had become her true destiny

Our lives are like books
Divided into chapters
Each one may be a year
or more
Or less
Depending
There’s a beginning when
we are young
A middle
and the then the final stage
when we move towards
older age
Like an artist or writer
We create each chapter
Based on our choices in life
The people we meet
Our experiences
As we move forward in our life
we may change and
adjust our chapters
Each life book is different
from another
Unique unto us only
No more or less value than another
Each life experience helps
to shape us and grow
Adding to the chapter
In our own way
we are each a creator
and artist
Of our life and world

She comes from the street
She’s orange and white
A ginger girl
She has a beautiful face
It’s hypnotic
She’s a mixed bag
Sometimes she’s sweet
Other times a bit crazy
Trust is hard for her
Her cries are soft and coaxing
She loves to play
She hangs around more now
But she also hits the street
Though she’s mellowed
She is still a bit wild
While she’s a bit different
There’s something about her
In her face is an innocence
That has captured me
The cat